Aussie rock leg-end Peter Bibby takes time out to answer a few questions about his musical history, ready to promote his forthcoming new album ‘Drama King’ – we get deep on personal inspirations, and much more!
S] Hi Peter, how are you doing today?
P] I’m absolutely pumped.
S] What’s inspiring you at the moment, outside of music – think movies, people or places?
P] My 2013 Mazda bt 50, the Australian bush, masonry, The Wire, spotted rock cod and Channel 7 news.
S] How do you look back at the success of ‘Butcher / Hairstylist / Beautician now?
P] I have many fond memories of those days, recording the album, touring, the excitement of it all. I’m very grateful for all the adventures it has sent me on over the years. I’m amazed that people still know all the words to those songs nearly 10 years later. It’s not a bad album, it was a nice place to start this whole Peter Bibby trip.
S] Talk me through ‘Fun Guy’ as a tune in itself – what does that mean to you?
P] It’s basically like I used to be a guy who was fun but that is no longer the case. It rarely happens these days, because they’ve gotten the hint, but every so often a friend will invite me out to an event, a gig or something, and you better believe I’m declining the offer, not even politely. Throughout the working week I’m not looking forward to the pub on the weekend or staying out late, I’m looking forward to sitting in my house drinking fucking rooibos tea, working on music, swimming ocean laps in the morning or running a trail in the bush. I’m an absolute bore and I’m loving it.
S] Your relationship with alcohol has been a prominent part of your songwriting, so is it cathartic to release music documenting some of your experiences, positive and negative?
P] Of course. Writing is very therapeutic. It’s a great feeling to take a crap situation and turn it into an absolute rip snorter of a tune. It’s even better when said tune resonates with people and brings them together in a joyful setting. Full circle type stuff.
S] Would you say that you’re happier in the space you are in now?
P] In many ways yes, the ways that I can control; my health, my relationships etc however the state of the world makes it difficult to feel happy at times.
S] ‘The One’ is such a banger too!! Talk me through the specific experiences that went into that one?
P] Well those who know me know I am no stranger to a bit of a relationship. Been a bit of a faller-in-loverer from time to time here n there over the years. So I was seeing this lovely young woman a couple of months after my previous relationship had deteriorated when the old feelings started coming back, those little tingles. And I was embarrassed, because it happened all the time and I knew I needed to be single for a while to sort my shit out. Anyway I wrote the first half of The One and didn’t know where to go with it. Me n the gal kept seeing each other and about 18 months later we were living together and everything was great and I finished the song off from that point of view. There are a few personal things in there that probably don’t make sense to anyone but us. We’re still together by the way.
S] How do you define success as an artist – what does that word mean to you?
P] Generate enough money from art that you can continue to make art. That may sound shallow but generally speaking, if you are generating money you’ve already connected with people through your art and done all that meaningful stuff and the final piece of the puzzle is not having to choose between poverty or a job that saps you of your time and energy leaving very little to devote to making art. Either that or getting to the point where the support band has to set up their drum kit in front of yours at the gig.
S] Is there anything you’d like to plug before we finish, that I might have missed?
P] I have a new record coming out May 31 and it’s an absolute corker! It’s called Drama King and you should buy it.
S] Thanks very much for taking the time out for this!
P] My pleasure!
Photo credit – Natalie Hewitt
